Let's Talk
by AnimatedBritney
Summary: Ino proposes a new idea to Shikamaru, and he begrudgingly obliges. Even though having a conversation was never his strong point. The discussion lead to more then just talking, though...ONE-SHOT.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

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><p>The only sound that could be heard was the low hum of the grasshoppers in the late afternoon and the occasional chirp of a bird by a nearby tree. Ino Yamanaka sat across her friend and teammate, Shikamaru Nara. In between the couple was the boy's favorite past time, Shouji.<p>

The only reason why Ino was willing to play this game with him is because she knew how much he loved to play the game with their recently deceased sensei, Asuma. The thought of the man made Ino grimace. She knew Shikamaru and Asuma were very close, and all the time she noticed the sadness in Shikamaru's eyes as he fiddled with Asuma's old lighter. Although she had not built as strong of a relationship with Asuma as Shikamaru had, she too had missed him deeply. She could only wonder how Shikamaru dealt with the loneliness. She eyed Shikamaru from across the board.

Shikamaru's face was contemplated in a frown studying the board, trying to make his next move. Ino heaved a sigh, she didn't ever play this game, and all she knew where the rules of the game. She had not nearly as much experience as the genius across from her. She knew he would win. He knew it, as well. Her sigh broke his concentration and he let his gaze wander to the look on her face. His beautiful team mate looked distraught.

"What is it?" He asked as he looked back to the game and moved his next piece.

She jumped a little at his question. They had been sitting in silence for a while now, and the sound of his voice broke her thoughts. She quickly replaced her frown with a smile and beamed at him.

"Say, let's do something else." She said cheerfully.

He rose a brow at her questioningly. He didn't know why she was so energetic, wanting to jump to one thing to the other. They were just sitting here in the silence playing a game, and he was truly enjoying himself. He would rather just do one thing for a long while, to ease his conscience. Most people thought it of it as boring, but he found it peaceful. But Ino didn't think like that, she liked to do as much as she could all at once. He should have known she couldn't sit still for long. Women are so troublesome.

He decided to take this moment to lite a cigarette. Ino frowned again as he did this. She knew him well enough to know that he was doing this because he was trying to calm squinted her eyes a little at him. How could he be so easily annoyed?

He took a breath in and exhaled the smoke, before he looked at her again. He couldn't help but feel amused form the look she was giving him. He smriked at her.

"What are you proposing?" he finally asks.

Her face begins to brighten up again as she begins to speak.

"Let's talk. We never talk!" she exclaims.

Shikamaru blinks at her as he puts down the cigarette in his hand, stamping it out with his foot. He stands up and walks away from her. He stand on the edge of the the floor, looking out toward the setting sun. He stares at the horizon before he says, "What about?"

Ino rises up from her knees and walks towards where he is. She decides to sit down near his feet, looking towards the setting sun as well.

"It doesn't matter." She says in a hushed voice. "It could be anything." She looked back up at him.

He looks down at her. He couldn't help but to admire her from this angle. Her face was tinted in orange from the sun set and her hair was cascading down her back. She looked like a goddess. His face flushed, and he decided to take a seat next to her. He let his feet hang down, he enjoyed the feeling of the grass between his toes. He looked to the ground where he and Ino had left their shoes a while ago.

Ino sat beside him with one leg under the other, as this is how she sat when she got comfortable. Though to him, it didn't look comfortable at all. Ino couldn't help but to notice his gaze on her legs. She decided she should say something before she got too embarrassed.

"So, do you still miss him?" Ino asked.

Shikamaru didn't have to ask who she meant. He knew exactly who she was talking about. "Everyday." He says, as he looks down at the lighter in his hand.

"Yeah, me too." Ino says quietly.

More silence escapes as the pair begin to reminisce on the days when their captain took them out for barbeque with Chouji, the days when they would train together. Ino could feel her eyes watering up, she wiped at them with the back of her hand.

"Listen to me, bringing up stuff like this." She laughs at herself half heartedly.

Shikamaru watches her as she's wiping at her eyes. He understand how she feels, he's been thinking about it constantly ever since he died. He decides to put his arm around her shoulder and draw her to his chest. Ino stiffens at first, but she eases into his warmth after only a moment. She let's herself shed a few tears, and wipes them away. Ino raises her head to look up him with a smile on her face. She pulled away from him slightly.

"Thanks." She says, her eyes still red around the edges.

He wanted to do so much more for her, and he hated for her to be sad. She should have never brought Asuma up. Although a part of him wanted to pull her close again to kiss her, but he decided it wasn't the time for that sort of thing. Instead, he let her pull herself away from him.

Her eyes began to look forward again at the setting sun. The horizon was such a blazing red that it looked on fire. Although Ino watched the sun go down practically every day, she couldn't help but to admire this one much more. Maybe it was because she was sitting next to Shikamaru, she didn't know. Then she decided she couldn't take the silence like this again. It felt much too awkward.

"We're friends, right, Shikamaru?" Ino asks.

"Of course." He answers some what automatically.

"It's funny when I think about it, but when I look back on the days when we were just becoming a team, I couldn't stand you." Ino says rather bluntly, not wishing to watch his expression as she says this.

He scowls at first, but then he smirks wirely. He wasn't too found of her at the begining either. He thought he would have rather had any other girl on his team than Ino, the then Sasuke-obsessed-girl. She was just the opposite of him. But after a few weeks of becoming a team with her, he found that they were the perfect pair.

She glances at Shikamaru from the corner of her eye, and sees that he is smirking at her. "What?" she asks.

"I felt the same, but it all worked out in the end." he says.

Ino wouldn't want anyone else on her team than Shikamaru and Chouji. They made a great team. Although they got on her nerves at first, she found he could always depend on Shikamaru and trust Chouji. They both meant so much to her, but over time she couldn't help but to gain the smallest crush on Shikamaru after Sasuke left the village. She still had yet to get over it.

"Yeah, it did." She smiled at him, her cheeks tinted pink. She looked away. She wasn't usually shy, but she was sure Shikamaru didn't feel the same as she did about him. She'd had the feeling for years that he had eyes for the Sand girl, Temari.

Shikamaru was surprised to see her blush, because he never really saw her blush. Blushing was never really Ino's thing, she was to confident in herself for that. He couldn't help but feel curious, but he didn't think he should ask. She might blow a fuse or something. Women are too sensitive about that sort of thing. He kept his mouth shut.

Instead he watched the sunset again, it was slowly but surely becoming nightfall. He heard Ino shift next to him. He eyes her from trhe corner of his eye. She was drawing her knees to her chest, huddled up as if she was cold. He smiled at the opportunity. He hugged her again, pulling her to his cheest. She obliged willingly as if she expected him to do snuggled into his chest breath in and out slowly, enjoying the moment she could have with him. She liked the way he smelt, she couldn't really describe it, it wasn't very fragrant, but it was still good smiled happily. The little girl inside her giggled leaned his head upon hers and closed his eyes. He didn't say a word, he was trying to enjoy the moment as long as he could. Tsunade was probably gonna make a call for him tomorrow to go on another mission. He should emjoy his time while he could.

Ino opened her eyes and wonder how long they were going to stay like this. Although she was enjoying herself, she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable.

"Shikamaru?" she whispered.

"hmm?" He asked while his eyes were still closed.

"Are you too uncomfortable with this?" she said even more quietly.

He opened his eyes when she said this.

"Not unless you are." he says, not moving a muscle.

She doesn't say a word, but she does smile to know that he's comfortable being this close to her. She thought of the time before when he hugged her, but this time it was more of cuddling than a hug of sympathy.

Maybe it wasn't just a crush. Maybe he liked her back. She squealed inwardly. She shifted slightly, gaining courage as she encircled her arms around him, embracing him closer. He brought his other arm around her and welcomed the embrace. They stayed like that for a while, kust enjoying eachother's warmth and company.

They both thought about what to do next. Ino felt him shift and pull away from her slightly. His hands were on her shoulders. His hands were rough and calloused against her bare skin, and she didn't know why but it sent a jolt through her. She watched as she was pulled away from his chest, and she was forced to look him in the face. Time seemed to stop for the one moment. Her thoughts were bouncing around inside her brain as she felt him tilt her chin lightly. At first she had no idea what was going on, until she felt his lips upon hers. She felt a tear trail down her cheek as she closed her eyes and kissed him back.

Yes! It finally happened. She had been dreaming of this, and who would have thought it would've happened now of all times? Luck was on her side tonight.

Shikamaru and Ino had lost track of time that night, and before they knew it, it was already midnight. They had spent too much time snogging each other that Shikamaru forgot that his father, Shikaku, asked for him to be back by eleven. He had no idea what he wanted, but he had to get a move on, much to Ino's dismay. If only his father hadn't asked for him to be home early.

He knew he would more than likely get his butt chewed by not only his dad, but his mother as well. He sighed, parents were too troublesome. As he walked home he starred up at the night sky replaying the night inside his head. He smiled at the memory. This definitely would be a night he wouldn't forget.


End file.
